《Blackened Blossoms》1. A Tear Is Born

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The moonlit pool rippled, a mist creeping above its surface to obscure the face of the moon. Purple sparks flashed within the mist, and the loud fizzes and cracks caused nearby animals to flee.

The mist dissipated, and a woman broke the surface of the water. She swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. Her dress was made of huge velvety petals, and the water sluiced off of the dripping wet dress, until only a few droplets remained, seeming to glow under the light of the moon.

Knees tucked up against her, the woman breathed her first ever breath. She was a newborn, but the knowledge of her people and the world she had been born in was already ingrained in her.

With that first breath, she said, "Bloody skies, this isn't good."

She stood up, and brushed off the last of the water droplets.

"I need to find the Howling Sisters."

To be born into danger and trouble, how unlucky.

Though her situation was dire, there seemed to be some small amount of luck on her side. A day of walking would get her to the Sisters. Her pace swept up small clouds of dirt behind her, but the velvet slippers on her feet stayed pristine.

The sky lightened, and the moon faded to a white imprint. She trekked past clustered forest and open meadows to an open clearing filled with the scent of flowers but not a flower in sight.

The clearing held one tree, a gnarled old thing that looked as if lightning had taken out a chunk of its side.

The Tear approached the tree, and circled around until she was facing the three carved faces of the Howling Sisters.

“Hello, Howling Sisters,” she said.

The middle face, that of a hearty woman perhaps forty years of age, opened her eyes.

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“Ah,” she groaned, a creaking sound, “I haven’t seen a Tear in so long. What brings you here, dear?”

“Well, ma’am, my kin and I have been cursed. That’s probably why none of my sisters have visited.”

“Do go on,” the youngest had opened her eyes now, her expression curious.

“I don’t have long before I become corrupted too, and I need any help you can give me on how to break the curse and free myself and my sisters.”

“Ooh,” said the youngest sister, “Let’s give her a prophecy!”

The eldest of the Howling Sisters opened her eyes at last, “Fool girl--she doesn’t need a prophecy, she needs a guide!”

“So, no time to waste, let’s give her one!” the youngest said.

The eldest sister shushed the youngest and then asked, “What can you give us in payment?"

Before the Tear could answer, the youngest sister said, “Tosh, she’s cursed already, and just born! Let’s give her a freebie!”

“I think that’s the right thing to do,” the middle sister said, and the eldest sister made a sour face.

“Ha! Outvoted!” the youngest sister said, and then crooned.

The eldest sister grumbled something too quiet to hear, and none too polite.

Then the sisters' bark faces grew stiff, as they fell into a trance.

When they broke out of their collective trance and spoke, their voices overlapped so that the Tear had to focus very hard to catch all of it.

“You haven’t much time, a month at most,

And that’s only if you give a little give to the curse--

If you want to break the ensorcellment around all Tears,

You’ll need to find allies, three or four,

And reach the peak of Mount Trellis and confront the sorcerer who started this all!”

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The Howling Sister blinked, and then the youngest exclaimed, “That’s the most exciting thing we’ve gotten to talk about in ages! The last folks who passed by here were so boring, all ‘don’t marry the baker, avoid your evil aunt, moving to the country is a bad idea’.”

“Good luck, dear, this sounds like quite a big deal to take on. We’ve been out of touch with the community, and didn’t realize you poor Tears have been facing so much,” the middle sister said.

“I apologize for my harshness,” the eldest sister said, “I hope you’re successful, little Tear.”

“Thank you for your help,” the Tear said, dread pooling in her stomach. A month! At most!

She needed to get moving.

“Good luck,” the youngest sister called again and again as the Tear left the clearing.

The Tear hoped the well wishes would help her.

She would need it.

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